On the Boston Bruins …
Jimmy Murphy: A team source on the knee-jerk trade speculation: “Not happening. He knows what he needs to do and he gets it. We know he’ll do it.”
Kevin Paul Dupont: “If Bruins move Krug, his role gets divvied up tween McAvoy/Grzelcyk. Bruins then have $5.25M to invest in a different type of D’man.”
Ty Anderson: GM Don Sweeney said that he’s had some trade talk about the possibility of getting back into the first-round.
Boston Bruins: GM Sweeny on their free agents: “Haven’t definitively ruled anybody out…we would like to bring everyone back, but that’s not realistic in cap environment.”
Fluto Shinzawa: Sweeney hasn’t told any of their pending UFAs that they won’t be back.
Joe Haggerty: Sounding like the Bruins will take a run at re-signing goaltender Anton Khudobin.
Matt Kalman of NHL.com: Pending UFA Rick Nash said he’d be willing to re-sign with the Bruins. Priorities for Nash on what he’s looking for.
“Obviously to win, that’s No. 1,” he said. “No. 2 is a good place to live, a good place that my family enjoys. And Boston’s been great. It’s been a pretty seamless transition for us, so everything was positive.”
On the Buffalo Sabres …
John Vogl of the Buffalo News: (mailbag from last week) A trade package for Ryan O’Reilly would be similar to what they gave up for him and Jamie McGinn – three prospects and the 31st pick in the draft.
O’Reilly has a lot of trade value – and believes he’d like to be traded – but signs are pointing towards O’Reilly remaining with the Sabres.
GM Jason Botterill said that the Sabres need to be faster next season. Sam Reinhart isn’t the fastest, and teams that don’t play a fast game could be interested in him.
Rasmus Ristolainen would have been at the top of ‘trade-him list’ after the season. Don’t see him being a No. 1 defenseman, but it’s tempting to see him as a complement to Rasmus Dahlin. may now be leaning towards keeping Ristolainen, but would listen to offers.
Defenseman Jake McCabe does have some trade value. The Sabres could move some of their defensive depth for depth at forward.